Felon Unlawfully In The Country Sentenced To 48 Months In Prison For Dealing Methamphetamine While In Possession Of Loaded Handgun And Shotgun

SAN FRANCISCO - Javier Velasquez Antunes was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in federal prison for dealing methamphetamine while illegally possessing a loaded handgun and shotgun. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria handed down the sentence.

Antunes, 50, a national of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 12, 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026, to Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) and Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

According to the plea agreement, Antunes admitted that on July 10, 2025, he and two others dealt methamphetamine in the Mission District of San Francisco. Officers from the San Francisco Police Department ("SFPD") observed Antunes sell approximately one gram of methamphetamine from a car parked on Mission Street, before apprehending Antunes, two accomplices, and the buyer. All told, the four men had at least twelve grams net weight of methamphetamine between them. SFPD then searched the car in which Antunes was sitting and found a loaded nine-millimeter handgun directly at the base of his seat as well as a loaded twelve-gauge shotgun bearing his DNA in a violin case in the back seat.

Police also recovered various rifle and shotgun ammunition from the car. Antunes had previously been convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance While Armed and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in state court.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA") Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered that he forfeit money, a cellular phone, and the firearms and ammunition. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli J. Cohen prosecuted the case with the assistance of Soana Katoa. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, with the assistance of the ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.